Enter the Reaper
by Dowd


Disclaimer- I do not own X-men, I do own Reaper, and a dog, but lets not talk about that.

R&R

They stalked him. He ran, and they followed. Days turned to weeks, weeks to months, months to a year, adn slowly he became the animal that they thought he was. He slept little, ate what he could find. It was difficult to clothe yourself when everything you touched turned to ash. so he didnt bother, he learned to hide. to hunt, to survive. Slowly he lost what made him Julian, and became Reaper. They knew that they would never catch him if he kept running. But they couldnt stop chasing anymore than he could stop running. They had orders, and they followed them. Regardless. He just ran, traveling across distances without looking to the sky, there was nothing there for him anymore. He had to hide. Had to run. It was the only way to make sure they didnt catch him. If he was caught they would put him back into the dark. He didnt like the dark. He never liked the dark. He wouldnt go back. He'd die first. And so he ran.

* * *

The professor's voice reached out to all of the students, calling them all into the conference room. He sighed to himself, mentally preparing himself for having to explain their newest mission. He considered sending Logan alone, but even the greatest tracker in the world might not be able to catch this one. No to even have a chance they would have to put as much manpower as possible into the search. He sighed again,what he had seen in the boys mind terrified him. He wondered if he could help him. He had to try,

The students talking stopped as he wheeled into the room. His eyes met each of theirs in turn as he looked at his assembled X-men. A smile graced his lips, yes, they could help him, they could save him. They would change the world. A snort was heard and he cast his eyes to the back corner, Logan stood in the shadows, leaning against the wall his cowboy hat pulled low over his eyes. He looked back toward his students.

"X-men, Cerebro has detected another mutant." He watched their reactions. This wasnt anything new. He found new mutants nearly every month, they seemed uninteresting. "He is somewhere in Adirondack mountain chain. You will be working in groups of three to track down this mutant and take him into your captivity..."

He was interrupted by a young german boy, strange thing about him was that he was covered pointy eared head to triactyle hand to toe toed foot in blue fur. Oh, he also had a tail. "Vait? captivity? vhat do you professor?"

He sighed, "Exactly that Kurt, the boy has been driven to the point of madness. It is imperitive that we bring him here for his safety and the safety of all those he encounters." He waited for the murmers to begin but they were cut short as Logan cleared his throat.

"So whose after him?" How like Wolverine, straight to the point.

"I'm not sure Logan, but they've chased him for over a year."

There was a collective intact of breath from the students but Logan accepted it impassively.

"But professor? like, who is he?" The small brunette asked in her valley-girl like speech. Xavier had to admit it got on even his nerves sometimes. He didn't understand how Kurt could stand to be her boyfriend.

"He is a boy, whose mind has been ravaged and is sore need of help." He turned and wheeled out of the room, "Suit up and meet me at the blackbird."

* * *

He crouched hidden by darkness and shadow, looking down at the five men armed to the teeth who were looking around and glancing at a machine that blinked and and beeped. He knew what that machine was, didnt he? It...it let them see him. He leapt out, his hand catching the bare face of the nearest soldier and hearing the scream as a surge of energy shot through his system. His fatigue vanished as did the light as darkness consumed everything around him. His eyes changed, filled with their own blackness as light surged in his eyes. He could see them all now. Clear as day. He let the corpse of the man he held fall to the ground and fled.

They regrouped, then began to follow him again. He could read their movements through the change in light patterns. It didnt matter he was over a hundred yards ahead, he could feel the light shift. He ran, his feet long since callused beyonf feeling and his hands finding holds on rocks where none seemed possible, and making holds when they really werent. He scaled a cliff, his body moving completely on instinct, not even thinking that if he fell he would die. He didnt fall. When he reached the top he snarled, conentrating and then hearing the rock face shift. He heard the muffled shouts as tons of rock fell towards the men. He didnt care, simply turned and continued to run.

He stopped, searching the sky as a pinprick of black appeared and began to grow. With a half sigh half growl he plunged himself into the forest.


End file.
